Combination envelope opener and paper sheet cutter



May 26, 1953 v. KOBLER ETAL COMBINATION ENVELOPE'OPENERv AND PAPER SHEETCUTTER Flled May 31, 1950 Patented May 26, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENToFFlcE COMBINATION ENVELOPE OPENER AND PAPER SHEET CUTTER VictorKoblerand Werner Kobler, Zurich, Switzerland Application May 31, 1950, SerialNo. 165,166 In Switzerland May 31, 1949 Envelope openers are known inthe art, representing a kind of paper cutter adapted to cut only a verynarrow strip off the envelope so as not to cut the envelope contents.For such purpose a stop is xed to one of the two knife blades of theopener, which prevents the envelope from slipping too far under thecutting edge. Such stop, however, prevents the use of the envelopeopener for other paper-sheet cutting operations.

Our present invention eliminates such latter disadvantage in that thesaid stop is removably, preferably hingedly disposed, and means areprovided for swinging the stop into the position for envelope-openingpurposes and out of such .position for other paper-sheet cuttingoperations.

In order to provide an unimpeded passage of the paper sheets between theknife blades, the drive for the vertically reciprocable knifeconveniently is disposed in the movable portion of the apparatus.

One embodiment of our present invention is illustrated, by way ofexample, in the accompanyingdrawing, in which- Fig. `1 shows theapparatus in front elevation,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line II-II of Fig. 3,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line lII--III of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1, in which theenvelope stop is in its operative position,

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4, wherein the envelope stop is in theinoperative position, and

Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the bed on the line VI-VI of Fig. 1.

The apparatus has an elongated stationary bed or base I to each end ofwhich a .post 2 is xed by means of a circular foot plate 2a, screws 2band a central screw 3. The vertically movable head of the apparatus isconstituted by a beam 5 which is guided by means of end housings 5a and5a on said posts 2. The said housings are of annular cross-section,accommodating in their bores 4 the posts 2, and are slotted at S for apurpose to be described later.

To the forward, raised pedestal portion Iw of bed I a horizontal knifeblade 6 is secured, which co-operates with a vertical knife blade 8which is attached to beam 5 by means of screws I8. The two blades 6 and8 are substantially at right angles to each other, but the angleincluded between the two blades preferably is made slightly larger than90, as will be appreciated from Figs. 4 and 5 in which the blade 8 isslightly inclined with respect to the front face of beam 5 due to 2Claims. (Cl. 164-59) formation of the groove in the face of the beam towhich it is attached..

The horizontal blade by means of screws 9 is movably secured at bothends to pedestal Ia. Such hold-down means are shown in Fig. 6 for oneblade end. A pin I0 depending into a hollow space I I, is secured to theunderside of blade 6 by means of screw 9. A disc I2, having a centralaperture of larger diameter than pin I0, divides the space yII into anupper anda lower chamber. A helical compression spring I4 surrounds thepin I9 in said lower chamber, intermediary of disc I2 and a cotter I3passing through the end of the pin. The spring I4 draws the blade 6 downagainst the pedestal Ia. A screw I5 projects into the upper chamber ofspace II, and a helical compression spring I6 surrounds the screw I5 andacts radially onto the pin I0 in order to push the blade 6 resilientlyagainst the blade 8.

The movable head or beam 5 is hollow and closed at the rearside by awallplate I'I secured thereto by means of screws I8.

The drive means for moving the beam 5 up and down, is disposed insidebeam 5, with the exception of the operating lever 21. The said meanscomprise two levers 2| and 22 which are toothed at the ends and pivotedon a pin I9 and 20 respectively, to beam 5. The said levers areinterengaged by their inner arms, while their outer arms engage theposts 2 by means of the rack portions 23 thereof. A follower flat 24 isrigidly secured to pin I9 and at both ends is yengaged by studs 25 whichare xed to lever 2|. Outside the beam 5 and its rear wallplate Il, whichlatter is traversed `by the pin I9, a handlever 21 is secured to pin I9by means of a pin 26. On depressing the lever 2l, the beam 5 isdepressed also, by virtue of the levers 2| and 22 being rocked, thusgiving rise to a cutting action of the blades 6 and 8.

The posts 2 are of annular cross-section, and a helical compressionspring 28 is disposed in the said posts and in the housings 5a and 5a'.The springs 28 abut at one end against the upper end of the fasteningscrews 3 and at the other end against the closed top of the saidhousings. The two springs 28 tend to push the beam 5 back into itsinitial position on releasing the handlever 21. The topmost andbottommost positions of beam 5 are dened by the lower and upper endsrespectively of said slots S in the wall of the said housings, againstwhich ends the levers 2|, 22 abut in their terminal positions.

A projection 30, flush with the cutting edge oi In close proximity, andrearwardly.- of knife;

blade 8 a stop is disposed, which comprises two strips 3| and 32. Yagainst the said stop can only be cut for the slight Width by which thestop `is. separatedfrom.

the cutting edge. The said width may bedenned as desired by thethickness of the selectedfrontiy strip 3l. The two strips 3|, 32 areinterconnected by means of screws 33. The holes in strip 32 throughwhich screws 33 projectmayl beY made; slightly larger than the diameterof-"screw 33 or may be made in form of slits, which arrange.;- ment onassembly permits adjusting the stop Sinn 3l in. dilersnt positions sinn32. and. thereby accurately to the cutting edgeofbiade 8,. The. Strip3.2. shneedly connected' at SMO tngbam; The Stop 3132 thnsmaybeswungcounterclovckwiseA from its operative position shown in Fig. 4intothenn-operative,position shown in Fig). 5, in which latter casetheopener may be used as cutter for apaper-sheet'P.

The` stop 3|, znniayv be swung in to` and out of 'its operative positionby manipulating a knob 35jwhich isprovidedwith a shank or stern 35, InFigs. land 4, the said'st-op is shown in the operative, and-inFig. 51inthe inoperative position. The stem Sgis recessedat 36a for en: gagementWiththe ceiling of beam 5. An irlclinedjhelical'tension, springuli' atone end is atv4 tached to a screw 38-which is secured to beam 5,;,and attheroth'ervend to a clip lit-which is secured toY stein 36;; The lowerend ofstem 36is pivotably engaged-in an eyelet- Lij fiXed'to therearside. of strip 32. The stem projects through an aperture' 5b in theceiling` of beam In Figs. l-andejthestem (i6-'is engagedto the saidceiling by means of recess 38a. By pushingknob Sgin Fig, 11 tothe-left,thestem `itis disengaged from the vsaid-ceiling and raised relatively tothe latter Aby- I the action ofspring; whereby the stop\3- 32 isswungintotheinoperative positionshowmin Fig. 5:

A rearwardlyprojecting bed` extension IH of which the Vunderside isi'lush-,with-thatof -bed I,

isprovidedon thesi devofhandl;ever 2', which prevents arearward tippingof-theapparatus on actuating thehand-lever2,1. A- ridge 42'isprovided-on the rearwardfportion-of Vbed Lier-the purpose i ofpreventing'- the cut oir' waste paper from dropping Afrom-the apparatus.

An envelope E (Fig. 4) put up;

lila

the other end thereof to said'shank', said knob Within the scope of ourpresent invention, con-A structions diierent from that shown arefeasible. The stop 3|, 32 could be made detachable instead of swingable.Further, the said stop could be attached to the lower portion of theapparatus, resiliently abutting against the knife blade 3 of the,upperportonrof theapparatus;soasy to follow, themcvement thereof. Inisuchlatter case, means would be provided for'ret-aining the stop ingthatposition in which the paper sheets could pass unhindered when theapparatus is not used for-opening envelopes.

What-we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent` is:

1; Stop means for a paper sheet cutter having a stationary portion witha horizontal knife blade aliiaied; thereto and a vertically movable beamwith a substantially vertical knife blade affixed thereto; forcooperating with said horizontal knife blade, comprising a' hingedlymounted stop 011th@ movable ,bearnpf Ksaid cutter, saidstopbeing'vdisposed inclose.prfirnity toand rearward:

lyoftheA vertical jknife blade. andi comprising twoVA stripsnterconnectedsde by Sida@ knbor manually.,pivotingsaid'stopinto andoutof 0p,- erative position projecting from saidv beam, a

shank integral'with said knob and engaging said stop inpivoted-'relatiom,saidshank havingva re. cessedr portion adapted'toengage said beam, a springattachedjat one endto saidbearn andlat whendepressed swinging said'stop in to operative positionand the recessedshank portion engag-` ing saidbearn` and `the spring being; tensioned`in a direction'to lock the stopin said position', said' stop wheninoperative position lyinggin'a plane parallel to said vertical `knifeblade;

2: Stop rneansfor'a paper sheetv cutter as claimed in-claim1; saidmovable beam of said' cutter-comprising a i hollow casing of rectangularcross section, said stop being hingeclly'connectedv to-the underside ofIsaidcasing:l

VICTOR 'KOBLERL WERNER KOBLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEB STATES' PATENTS

